Neighbors: New hotel plans announced
The speaker at the November NSIA monthly meeting held Monday was Farid Ashdji, owner of the Town and Country Motel on Vilano Road. Preliminary plans for the proposed new hotel to be located on the site were presented. It will be an art deco design with 72 rooms on three stories, meeting rooms, gift shop and two restaurants.

Neighbors: Art walk filled with enchantment
"First Friday," which was brought to life at a meeting of art gallery owners on the edge of Lincolnville West, has been in a constant state of growth since then, with people "art-walking" sometimes the entire length of King Street, from San Sebastian to the Matanzas.

Bookmobile Schedule
The following is the schedule for the St. Johns County Public Library System's Bookmobile for the week of Nov. 17.

Nights of Lights next weekend
On Nov. 22, a single flick of a switch will bring the 15th annual edition of the Nights of Lights to life and create a magical holiday atmosphere in the nation's oldest city.

Celebrity Cabaret
After months of preparation, involving literally hundreds of motivated, super-charged participants representing all walks of St. Augustine life -- all volunteers -- the Limelight Theatre's 7th Annual "Celebrity Cabaret" opens this Nov. 19, for a four-performance run through Saturday, November 22.

Music: John Cowan
Bluegrass. Newgrass. Rock n' Rollgrass. John Cowan's ability to move easily between music styles and blend (and bend) genres into creative new forms has made him one of the most significant voices in acoustic music over the past thirty years.

Art Garfunkel
Feb. 18: International recording artist Art Garfunkel teams up with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for a one-time only performance at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.

Ice Slide, Skating and Snow
100-foot ice slide will be the featured attraction at the second annual Winter Wonderland festival, which returns to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Nov. 21.

The Ahn Trio
omprised of three outstandingly talented Korean-born sisters, the Ahn Trio is the first of four featured programs of the afternoon series of concerts sponsored by the EMMA Concert Association in cooperation with Flagler College.

Recipe Finder: The perfect season to make apple butter
Mary Earl of Baltimore was looking for a recipe for apple butter that is made in the oven. Betty Smith of Bend, Ore., sent in her recipe for the butter that she adapted over the years. Her recipe is very simple and allows for personal variation.

Thanksgiving gets a touch of Creole
Thanksgiving is a great holiday for everyone to celebrate. It's all about being thankful for the joys of family, friends, the memories we created together and a time to enjoy eating our favorite foods.

Cornbread dressing adds Southern flair
To get the 4 tablespoons of bacon fat called for in this Southern-style dressing, cut five slices of bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and cook until crisp. Reserve the bacon for another use.

Students hit the pool in search of training
When Jim Herkel was diagnosed with arterial fibulation in September 2007, he realized he had two options: Do nothing and let his health deteriorate further or take control of his health and modify his lifestyle.

Ear ringing can become irritating
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son-in-law has tinnitus, a ringing in the ear. He has it often, and his doctor seems to think nothing can be done for it except some medication. I'm not sure if my son-in-law takes it. Do you know of anything that can be done to alleviate it? -- R.C.

Doctor to speak at cancer program
Dr. Alvaro Alvarez, radiation oncologist at Florida Hospital Flagler, will be featured at a Lunch and Learn program on lung cancer Nov. 21 in the hospital's education center, 60 Memorial Medical Parkway, Palm Coast.

Memory screening planned
From 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, the St. Johns County Council on Aging will offer memory screening at each of its three senior center locations -- The Coastal Community Center, 180 Marine St.; The Players Community Senior Center, 175 Landrum Lane in Ponte Vedra Beach; and the Trout Creek Park Pavilion, 6795 Collier Road in Orangedale.

World leaders ponder economic solutions
WASHINGTON -- The leaders of 20 of the world's largest economies will gather Friday and Saturday in Washington to search for a way out of the biggest global economic meltdown in decades.

Forecast: Lower heating costs
WASHINGTON -- With oil prices plummeting, the government says people will get a break this winter on their heating bills. And next year's gasoline prices should average $2.37 a gallon.

Study: Same-sex heart transplants are better
NEW ORLEANS -- Turns out men and women really are different at heart: New research finds that heart transplant patients have better odds of survival and a lower risk of rejection if they get organs from donors of the same sex.

Abandon ship
SAN FRANCISCO -- From Southern California to Maine, the foundering economy, high fuel prices and poor fishing have driven boat owners to abandon perhaps thousands of vessels on the waterfront, where they are beginning to break up and sink, leaking oil and other pollutants.

Collapse could spell catastrophe
DETROIT -- Advocates for the nation's automakers are warning that the collapse of the Big Three -- or even just General Motors -- could set off a catastrophic chain reaction in the economy, eliminating up to 3 million jobs and depriving governments of more than $150 billion in tax revenue.

Airline, hotel prices on decline
With the economy in distress, there might be no cheaper time to travel than this winter as a sharp drop in demand forces airlines, hotels and cruise companies to slash fares, cut rates and lower fees.

UCLA helps troops recover
LOS ANGELES -- Marines and soldiers who suffered disfiguring injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan are receiving advanced plastic and reconstructive surgery at UCLA Medical Center under a partnership between the center and the military's top hospital for burn victims.

Gays get right to wed in Conn.
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Same-sex couples exchanged vows Wednesday for the first time in Connecticut amid cheers and tears of joy, while gay activists planned protests across the country over the vote that took away their right to marry in California.

Salvation Army testing plastic at red kettles
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- It's a true season of change -- the Salvation Army is experimenting with a plastic alternative for folks who don't have cash to throw in a holiday red kettle.

Consumers clamp down on spending
NEW YORK -- Americans have slammed their wallets shut since the financial meltdown, and the future is looking downright scary for stores across the country and the whole U.S. economy.

Scientists find planets orbiting stars
Reaching a milestone in the search for Earth-like planets, two teams of astronomers say they have parted the curtains of space to take the first pictures of planets beyond our solar system.

Neb. parents rush to abandon children
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The mother was running out of more than patience when she abandoned her 18-year-old daughter at a hospital over the weekend under Nebraska's safe-haven law.

Post office debt totals $2.8 billion
WASHINGTON -- The Postal Service ended its fiscal year $2.8 billion in the red, battered by a faltering economy that cut the amount of mail being sent.

Suspect shot by Putnam deputy dies
The suspect who was shot Tuesday after allegedly using a stolen truck to ram a Putnam County deputy sheriff's patrol car died from his injuries this morning.

Woman killed in accident
A Palm Coast woman was killed Wednesday after a semitrailer struck the side of her sport utility vehicle, but a 1-year-old girl in the SUV survived without any injuries.

Man dies in Elkton truck accident
ELKTON -- A man standing between a tractor and a semitrailer was killed Wednesday when he got pinned between the two on a farm here.

Woman's "suspicious" death ruled homicide
The St. Johns County Utility Department has issued a precautionary boil
water notice for customers in Palencia, Las Calinas, Kensington, Floentine,
the Shops at St. Johns and the Businesses at St. Johns. The notice is in
effect until retraction letters have been posted.

Boil Water Notice
The St. Johns County Utility Department has issued a precautionary boil
water notice for customers in Palencia, Las Calinas, Kensington, Floentine,
the Shops at St. Johns and the Businesses at St. Johns. The notice is in
effect until retraction letters have been posted.

Dueling groups tackle 450th
City Commissioner George Gardner has created a committee to start planning St. Augustine's 450th birthday in 2015, putting his organization in competition with the mayor's.

City staff to discuss FPL deal
Few residents attended the city's meeting Thursday on possibly renewing its 30-year franchise with Florida Power & Light, but it was clear they had major concerns with it.

Woman's 'suspicious' death ruled homicide
ELKTON -- Investigators looking into the "suspicious" death of a woman whose body was found in the St. Augustine Inlet on Sunday afternoon said Thursday the attractive mother of two was slain before she was submerged, shifting their focus from how to who.

For The Record
The St. Johns County Utility Department has issued a precautionary boil-water notice for customers in Palencia, Las Calinas, Kensington, Floentine, the Shops at St. Johns and the Businesses at St. Johns.

Marsha Lee Masters Blanzenski
A Mass of Christian Burial for Marsha Lee Masters Blanzenski, 65, who passed away Monday, Nov. 10, 2008, will be 2 p.m. Friday, Nov., 14 at Our Lady Star Of The Sea Catholic Church, 4000 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach, Fla., with Father John S. Murray, officiating. Burial will be held at a later date at St. Ambrose Cemetery, Elkton, Fla..

Walter M. Ames
Walter M. Ames died Nov. 6, 2008. He is survived by his wife, Pat; sons, Michael and Bradley; daughter, Susan (Michael E.); brothers, Carter, Peter and Hunter; sister, Sally; and grandchildren, Samantha and Carter. He will be honored at Florida National Cemetery at a later date.

Donald Charles Nodine
Donald Charles Nodine, 84, proud veteran of World War II, 100th infantry division, the Society of the Sons of Bitche.

Perspective: The same old change
We will likely see a lot of political "readjustments" come January, once President-elect Barack Obama and many new Democratic congressmen assume office, and the Republican administration leaves.

Perspective: True intellectuals deserve respect
Among the many wonders to be expected from an Obama administration, if Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times is to be believed, is ending "the anti-intellectualism that has long been a strain in American life."

Letter: Doesn't acknowledge Bush as president
Editor: In a Nov. 9 letter to the editor, the writer declares; "I refuse to acknowledge (Barack) Obama as my president. He is a product of the radical far left socialists." I sympathize with his frustration, because I haven't acknowledged George W. Bush as the legitimate president since the Florida Supreme Court selected him for the office nearly eight years ago.

Letter: Foreign auto makers can teach profitmaking
Editor: Instead of the United States government trying to bail out the U.S. auto industry by giving the U.S. auto industry a gazillion dollars, send U.S. auto industry officials to a foreign auto plant in the U.S. and discover why foreign auto companies make a profit every year.

Letter: Homeless vets fed as band plays on
Editor: Nov. 10 marked the 5th anniversary of the St. Augustine Food Not Bombs, one of the longest-running actions in the nation which feeds anyone who is hungry in public places.

Letter: Won't vote unless candidates are known
Editor: Maybe people don't vote on certain races, because they do not feel they have enough information to make an informed decision. The candidates do not campaign enough in my opinion.

Editorial: Prepare for a fair like none before
The longest-running St. Johns County Agricultural Fair in recent years opens today for a three-day Sneak Peek. The fair officially opens Tuesday and continues through Nov. 23. The St. Johns County Fairgrounds in Elkton on State Road 207 is the best to be.

Police Report
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD).

Police Report
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD).

PVHS music group gets big boost
From the "See You at the Symphony" bumper sticker on the back of her car, to the two grand pianos in her Vicars Landing living room, to her founding of the St. Cecilia Music Society at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Ruth Conley is widely recognized as a passionate music lover.

Vicar welcomed at St. Cyprian's
Challenges and changes keep coming to St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church in Lincolnville. An emotional pastor, the Rev. J. Perry Smith, said goodbye to the congregation Nov. 2, after 18 months of leading the parish. Father Perry, as he is affectionately called by church members, a fairly newcomer to the ministry, is a former career federal employee who was ordained a priest in 2002.

Holiday events planned around city
A harvest party and fundraising activities at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine are among events in coming weeks on the First Coast.

Hospice receives grant to build care center
JACKSONVILLE -- Community Hospice of Northeast Florida has received a $10,000 grant from New York Life Insurance Co., through the efforts of The Bailey Group, a St. Augustine insurance business focused on health, life, annuities, retirement, benefits and financial products.

Heaven is a place of joy
Q: When we get to heaven, will we know what's happening on earth? If so, how can we be happy? There's so much misery in the world that I'd think it would just make us sad. -- G.R.

Give the gift of a hand
With the holiday season upon us, many are looking for a way to give a gift that gives all year long, and the Care and Share Program does just that.

Pier festival on Saturday welcomes 71-year-old cross-country bicyclist
Bob Frick, 71, is about to complete his coast to coast trek to raise funds and community awareness for Habitat for Humanity. His journey will conclude here Saturday, where he will be greeted by fellow cyclists who will join him in his last few miles to the Atlantic Ocean. A Community Festival will be held in his honor at the St. Augustine Beach Ocean Pier Pavilion.

Choral competition is Sunday
Joyful sounds will ring throughout the Limelight Theatre, 11 Old Mission Ave., beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday when local choral groups compete in a concert sponsored by the Community AIDS Coalition of St. Augustine.

Staff Predictions: Stuart
SAHS at Ridgeview: This is a surprising matchup of district champions. Ridgeview will be dangerous if SAHS is already looking toward the playoffs or if it commits five turnovers.

NHL: Semin leads Capitals past 'Canes
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Alexander Semin had two goals and three assists to move take the NHL scoring lead, and the Washington Capitals routed the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Wednesday night to take sole possession of the Southeast Division lead.

College FB: Miami beats Va. Tech
MIAMI -- Javarris James ran for a touchdown, Matt Bosher kicked three field goals, and Miami got a huge defensive stand in the final minutes to beat Virginia Tech 16-14 on Thursday night and move into first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coastal Division.

Tebow for Heisman again
ORLANDO -- Who was it who predicted early last season that Tim Tebow -- after only two games as a starting quarterback at the University of Florida -- would become the first sophomore in history to win the Heisman Trophy, would, in fact, win multiple Heismans and would go down as one of the greatest college football players in history?

LeBron, Cavs topple Nuggets
CLEVELAND -- LeBron James scored 22 points, most of them coming with Carmelo Anthony guarding him, and the Cleveland Cavaliers finally put the Denver Nuggets away and won their sixth straight, 110-99 on Thursday night.

Tebow handles expectations
GAINESVILLE -- There were all kinds of theories flying around earlier this season about why Tim Tebow wasn't playing up to his usual high standards.

NHL: Penguins beat Flyers in shootout
PITTSBURGH -- Penguins rookie Alex Goligoski scored on his first shootout attempt after Sidney Crosby tied it late in the third period with his second goal, and Pittsburgh rallied to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 after blowing a three-goal lead Thursday night.

National: Marlins deal Gregg to Cubs
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs acquired reliever Kevin Gregg in a trade with the Florida Marlins on Thursday, a move that appears to end Kerry Wood's career with the team.

Officials count new ballots
TAMPA (AP) -- Officials in Hillsborough County have recovered several hundred absentee ballots that were locked away and uncounted for more than a week after Election Day. Approximately 850 ballots were counted for the first time Wednesday.

Hometowns call for own bailout plans
ORLANDO -- As Congress and the White House try to craft a bailout for American car companies, mayors and city council members from across the country say they shouldn't be left out.

State grapples with budget deficit
TALLAHASSEE -- Florida's revenue outlook is so bleak that lawmakers should meet in special session next month or in early January to prevent an unconstitutional budget deficit, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said Wednesday.

Deal puts Everglades restoration in motion
MIAMI -- A revised plan for a historic Everglades restoration deal will cost the state less and save jobs, Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday in his first comments on the new agreement.

Police: Objects found not related to Caylee
ORLANDO (AP) -- A search of an Orlando lake Thursday that sparked nationwide television coverage speculating a possible link to missing 3-year-old Caylee Anthony turned out, apparently, to be unrelated.

Missing divers found dead
HUDSON, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities found the bodies of two men who went cave diving and never returned.

Pressure mounts to keep shuttle flying
CAPE CANAVERAL -- Endeavour sits on launch pad 39-A ready to launch to the international space station today, leaving only nine more scheduled flights before NASA mothballs the shuttle fleet to make way for a new generation of moon rockets.

Ga. questions water argument
MIAMI (AP) -- Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue is offering new thoughts on the water wars, wondering how Florida can preach that Georgia isn't concerned about the environment when it's allowed development along its coastline.

About half of Everglades buy contaminated
Almost 90,000 acres of U.S. Sugar Corp. land, half the amount targeted by the state for Everglades restoration, comes with contaminants that pose a moderate or elevated risk to the environment, according to a report released today.

Man arrested, weapons cache seized from home
LAKE WORTH -- Deputies recovered assault rifles, grenades and pipe bombs from the home of a South Florida man who said he assembled the arsenal "to kill my neighbors" and then threatened to kill a deputy who arrested him, authorities said Thursday.

Iraqi soldier's fire kills 2 U.S. troops, wounds 6
BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi soldier Wednesday sprayed automatic weapons fire at U.S. soldiers at an Iraqi military base in Mosul, killing two and wounding six before he died in a hail of bullets, an American general said.

UN: Clouds of pollution threaten Asia
BEIJING -- A dirty brown haze sometimes more than a mile thick is darkening skies not only over vast areas of Asia, but also in the Middle East, southern Africa and the Amazon Basin, changing weather patterns around the world and threatening health and food supplies, the U.N. reported Thursday.

North Korea to halt border crossings with South
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea said Wednesday it will ban land crossings at its border with South Korea starting next month because of what it calls the South's confrontational stance.

Marrow transplant may have cured AIDS
BERLIN -- An American man who suffered from AIDS appears to have been cured of the disease 20 months after receiving a targeted bone marrow transplant normally used to fight leukemia, his doctors said Wednesday.

Australian gets jail time for euthanasia
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Alzheimer's battered Graeme Wylie so much that he could no longer recall his own birthday or remember that he had children. But, his partner said, Wylie did know this: Life was no longer worth living.